LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1255, 27 March 1878, Page 3

LITERATURE.

_ $ „ LONE IN A CHERRY-TREE. A radiant July morning, with the birds glancing in and out of the tveea, the scythes of thti mowers glittering on the hillside beyond the river, and the butterflies rising in golden clouds from the grass wherever ono'3 footstep fell—a morning jewelled \vi*h sunshine, and garlanded with ripened wheat. And old Silas Featherstone, climbing into his trap for a journey to town, looked merkta. tively abound him, and ' fancied -would'he a good day for haying,' when suddenly a little figure in a blue cotton dress, and hair all floating gold, came ruaaicg oft to $& 4QOIV

1 Father, you needn't get that pink mus'in for me,' she cried, breathlessly, and with a little sob in her throat. 'Eh ?' Farmer Feathorstonecould hardly believe the evidence of his own senses. ' No;. get the pink muslin ? Why, you haven't taikeil of nothing else for a weak !' 'I <<on't care,' said Minta, looking very hard at the distant church spire that tapered up above the trees ' I've changed my mind - I don't want the dress !'

"Id ''armer Feat hers to no drove away, marvelliug, ;i nd Minta fluttered back into the kitchen, where Aunt Dorothy was making a cherry pie. 'Aunt Dorothy,' - said she, 'didn't you tell me you once visited the Shaker settlement in the New Forest ?'

* Yes, I did.' said Aunt Dorothy, rejecting a r> bin-peeked chorry. ' 1 think I shall join the Shakers,' said' Minta.

Aunt Dorothy peered over the edge of her spectacles in amazement.

'Child,' said she, 'are you crazy?' 'Not in the least,'said Minta, setting away Ihe old-fashioned flowery-blue china that she had been wiping up. ' I think I should like to be a Shaker. I mean to ask father to take me to visit them next week and —'

' And in the meantime,'said Aunt Dorothy, with an incredulous laugh, ' just run out to that tree by the orchard wall and get a few more cherries.'

Miuta reached down a little gipsy straw hat, trimmed with real wheat ears and bows of blue ribbon, took a basket from the she'f and tripped out across the shady lane that led to the orchard wa'l.

' Aunt Dorothy don't believe me,' said she to herself ; ' but I do mean to hi a Shaker Shakers never have any troubles about their lovers. And if I'd a Shaker I should never have cared if Gilbert Esdaile did flirt with Cousin Flo a down here to spend the vacation—bo there now! And .1 don't care if she does marry Gilbert ! I shaß be a Shaker!'

Minta looked up through a camera obscura of tears into the leafy boughs of the old cherry tree.'

' There are no cherries down here' thought she • I must reach higher up.' And springing nimbly up into the tree, Minta began gathering tae fruit But suddenly something passed over the grass under th» cherry tree. The flush mounted to Minta'a cheek.

1 It's Gilbert and Cousin Flora,' she thought. ' Oh, d-ar, what ill luck sends them here of all places in the world ?' She bit her lip a** Cou -in Flora's clear, ringing voice sounded, with a laugh, ' Are you really so very much in love, Gilbert ? Well, upon my word, I should never have though*, it from external appearances ' 'Still waters run deep !' said Mr Rsdaile, half anuoyed at his companion'a levity.

' The heartless coquette !' thought little Minta, clasping box plump fingers tighly over the handle of her cherry basket ' And all thi* in a month !' -unilod flora. 'Don't you believe in love at first sight ? I do,' said Mr Esdaile, seriously enough. ' Well, in some oases, yes; in others, no,' said Mis 3 Flora Field, demurely picking a clover head to pieces. ' Oh, how can she play with him so ?' thought Minta.

' M 133 Field do not turn from me! Tell mo, do you think I have auy grounds for hop.! ?' he pleaded.

* How can I tell ? Doe l , not your own heart counsel you ?' retorted the girl. 'Oh, if only I was out of this horrid place, where I am eavesdropping without being able to help myself!' thought Minta.

' Wei! on the whole, I think you may hope,' said Miss Field, slowly. 'Wow I do hate Cousin Flora!' thought Minta, growing very red, while the tears sparkled in her eyes. Aft?r all that she has told me about being externally faithful to the memory of her soldier lover who fell at Ashautce.

'Mind, I do not [speak positively,' added Miss Field.'

' Horrid thing 1 If she is going to encourage him why don't she do so frankly and decidedly ?' thought Minta. * I can't bear to sec people kept in suspense.' ' But from what I do know,' went on Miss Flora, leaning one elbow on the stone wall, and looking dreamily out over the summer landscape, 'if your suit: proves successful, you will have wan a heart of gold.' 'Oh, the self-conceited creature!' Minta had almost exclaimed aloud, iu her indignant surprise. < Well, if any one had told me that Flora was such a girl as this, I shouldn't have beJieved it '

' i»he is a wild rosebud,' went on Flora ; 'a jewel, sparkling in tho shade—an ungathered blossom !'

'• Who on earth is she talking about ?' >ondered Miuta.

•Sheis an angel,' said Gilbet Esiaile, enthusiastically. ' Dear me ! the mystery gets deeper and deeper,' said Minfca to herself. ' And,' added Mr Fidailo, ' I will take your advice, .Miss Field, and propose to her at once.' •Mind,' spoke out "Flora Field, ' I do not positively answer for Minta's heart—l have no right to do that —but I do honestly believe she cares for you a little !' ' Oh, goodness gracious !' thought our little heroine, beginning to tremble all over in her leafy perch. '(. do believe they've been talking of me all this while !' 'Where is she now,' asked Mr ss,d.aiio. And Minfca, hiding away among the cherry boughs, had $o bite her lips, to keep from crying, between happy sobs and tears, '. Here i urn !' ' She was arranging (lowers in the parlor when I saw her last,' said Flora. •I will go to her at once,' said Mr Esdaile. 'And my Cupid speed you,' laughed Flora Field. Sh& sat dreamily following his strong, elastic footstep with her eye, thinking of the days when she herself was a young girl, wooed by a young lover—she was only four-and-twenty now, poor Flora I —when there was a rustle above her, a sudden flatter of blue cotton and yellow curls, and Minta Feather sfcoue sprang to the top of the stone wall, and thence to the dew-spangled grass. • Minta !' • Oh, Flora 1 dear Flora I* She was orying and laughing in the same breath, with her arms around Flora's neck, and her cheek against Flora's forehead. ' Minfca, what have you been doing V ' Picking cherries up iu the tree, and—listening to what you and Mr Esdaile have been saying. And, oh, Flora, .[ am so happy !' An hour afterwards S&a c».me into the kitchen agJ^ljv •Well,' say! Aunt Dorothy, 'where are ! my cherries '>' ■ • Cherries V Oh, Aunt Dorothy, I forgot all about them!' • Then,' said Aunt Dorothy, with a face of despair, ' you'll have no tart*for dinner.' 'Never mind about tart,' said Minta, brightly. 'And I've got something tatcll you, Aunt Dorothy, I—l don't mean to be a Shaker after all.' 'Don't you'; aaict Aunt Dorothy, who had a pretty jhrewed guess as to what had been [ happening! l So the pink muslin dress was a white silk I one, after all !•